Water Pump

[Evodelta]

Has anyone ever considered an electric water pump on this engine? It would free up a few horses and less likely to leak to buggery when it fails.

It's the way to go if you have what it takes, advantages:

No cavitation at high engine RPM.

Can be enabled to run on after engine shut down to prolong engine and turbo life.

Can run at fast speed when engine speed is low to ensure better cooling.

Basically it's just totally adaptable to be whatever you want.


OE water pump failure: Long periods of inactivity, old or insufficient antifreeze/corrosion inhibitor.

[Steve Webb]

So how easy is it to remove the mech. water pump from the system? Is it just a case of remove the internals and drive belt but leave the casing in place?

Got any recommendations for electrical pumps?

[Evodelta]

Basically yes, either remove the internals of the OE item or fab up a new part from a flange and a 90' pipe bend. Davies-Craig are good, although Nik is looking into another manufacturer (can't remember who!) There is all sorts on the market, even rad mounted pumps which go on the outlet.

[1NRO]

Bloody water pumps, beggers for driping. I've a policy that if the cam belt is disturbed the water pump should be changed. Too many times I tried doing just the belt and bearings only to find that what was fine before starts driping. My theory is that once the tension is released the bearing inside the water pump gives up. This causes me to think that as and when I get my finger out and sort an electric pump setup I'll have a billet block thats drilled for water passage but also holds the water pump pulley (unless I can source a shorter auxillary belt) so there's no chance of it leaking through the bearing.

I've given thought to many variations of doing it. One I looked into was just blanking off the water pump hole in the block and using the core plugs at the back of the block to introduce the water to the engine, one of the reasons a shorter auxillary belt would be nice. A twin feed electric pump would be nice for this method then an even introduction to the block would be possible (rather than offset to one side) Another thought that mills around in the gray matter is having an outlet back to the rad out of the head from inbetween the exhaust ports on each cylinder. Lots of wild thoughts going on! Anyway, back on topic. There's only one manufacturer that I know of that I would use for the electric pump. They do the rad mounted number Martin mentions, the one I have my eye on http://www.meziere.com/ps-1177-1145-wp36216.aspx

Maybe I share to many wild thoughts?!

[Steve Webb]

the one I have my eye on http://www.meziere.com/ps-1177-1145-wp36216.aspx

Maybe I share to many wild thoughts?!

55gpm, isn't that a little high? Mind you from the looks of the website they do drag racing kit!

[1NRO]

Thats a good point Steve, never thought too closely about volume being too much. Some research into the output of the standard pump needed I suppose. I'd imagine you'd be correct, take a bit of shifting 55g by the standard water pump even at high rpm. They do pumps of 20g and 35g too, something in the range will suitable.

[Steve Webb]

55 US Gal per min = 208 litres per min.

The Q4 cooling system = 9.1 litres.

Therefore that electric pump pumps the complete cooling system 22.8 times per minute or once every 2.6 seconds!!!

Might be a little over the top